The incorporation of Optical Elements to enhance the visual appeal of print and packaging has been used for many decades. “Optical Elements” herein defined as Holograms, Diffraction patterns, Fresnel lenses, Flies-Eye Lens Arrays and Lenticular Lens Arrays. Crown Roll Leaf in U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,544 describes a process of embossing Holographic images and Diffraction patterns into thin plastic films, subsequently metalized or coated with high refractive index coatings, and traditionally laminated to substrates for the print and packaging industry. Kimberly-Clark Worldwide in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,800,357 and 7,433,105 describes Optical Element incorporation onto printed articles by mounting select Optical Elements onto an embossing plate, opaque printing over select areas of overall wallpaper type of coverage of Optical Elements to achieve selectively visible Optical Elements, and Laminating Fresnel lens containing films onto carton stock and printing graphics onto at least a portion of the Fresnel lens to give the appearance of depth and dimension to the graphic, respectively. Joe Coburn, Jr. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,123 describes the incorporation of Opt5ical Elements, in one embodiment Fresnel lenses, for the print and packaging industry in the early 1980's. In the 1970's Rowland Technologies described lens arrays of Optical Elements for 3D effects for the print and packaging industry in U.S. Pat. No. 3,357,772. Further, Mireco Company in U.S. Pat. No. 7,130,126 describes an Optical Element of flies eye lens array on the surface of a plastic sheet, with printing of a graphic on the surface of the lens array and printing of patterns on the opposite surface of the plastic sheet wherein the surface printed image appears on the surface of the plastic sheet and the non-printed lenses magnify the printed pattern on the opposite surface to reveal a three-dimensional effect of the pattern floating above or below the surface printed graphic. Additionally, lenticular lens arrays have been used in point of sale advertising and decorative packaging such as DVD/VHS packaging since the 1980's.
Transparent plastic packaging materials are often used to enhance the perceived value of consumer products over that of traditional board or paper stock packaging. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,858,756, 5,069,334, and 5,678,492, Hip Lik, a predecessor to the assignee of this invention, Hip Lik, claimed certain aspects of a transparent box used for packaging consumer goods. The ability to incorporate Optical Elements in transparent semi-rigid decorated articles and packaging has been limited to overall Optical Element areas which prevents retaining areas of true see through clarity, or requiring expensive select Optical Element embossing or engraving tools designed to selectively impart the Optical Effect onto the transparent material, as Kimberly-Clark's U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,800,357 and 7,433,105 patents claim.
The prior art thus requires expensive materials and processes and none to date offer the capability of the selective application of Optical Elements onto selectively applied receptive coatings for printed articles. Additionally, the prior art fails to teach a method of obtaining a “see through” transparent container with selective Optical Elements. There is thus a need for packaging that can incorporate the selective incorporation of Optical Elements in a simple and economic manner, and more particularly to incorporate such select Optical Elements while retaining areas of see through transparency in a printed or decorated article It is therefore a further object of this invention to create printed articles with select Optical Elements in an economical manner and to additionally create see through transparent areas in these articles for the print and packaging industry that takes advantage of the premium associated with transparent packaging, provide the potential for see through areas on the printed article, and to provide select Optical Elements to further enhance the perceived value of the printed article or package.
In summary, prior art only enabled Optical Elements incorporated onto the surface of metalized paper or plastic materials where the substrate making the package is either not transparent, or where to be a selective Optical Element, an expensive select Optical Element embossing tool is produced to impart the select Optical Element onto the article or the undesired Optical Elements of an overall Optical Element wall paper pattern are selectively covered up with opaque inks.